The rapid pace of development in computing technology has created a demand for flexibility in regard to interaction between hardware and software. For example, emerging computing devices, operating systems (OS), applications, etc. need to have some degree of interplay so that older hardware may remain compatible with newer software and vice versa. The introduction of open architectures has also created a need for flexibility. The scenario wherein equipment may be configured to run only certain software (e.g., an OS) identified by the equipment manufacturer still exists, but has been joined by a variety of other providers that may eater to different equipment/software configurations. These providers include large companies, small companies, consortiums, alliances, educational institutions, hobbyists, etc. From this large array of providers users may incorporate hardware and software to meet their specific needs, selecting features based on their requirements for performance, reliability, etc.
While the ability to choose from a variety of solutions may be enticing to consumers, it does not come without some challenges. For example, integrating equipment with software obtained from different sources may entail the creation of an OS/hardware combination that was intended or even envisioned by the various providers. Bootstrap operations that may be executed during device startup are intended to establish links between the software aspects and hardware resources of a device. As the technology within computing devices continues to evolve, the traditional manner in which bootstrap operations are implemented is becoming unable to handle the increasing number of possible device/OS combinations made available by the variety of sources in the marketplace. The inability for traditional bootstrap operations to adapt to these combinations is becoming problematic to development, and has been noted as an impediment to hardware/software integration by some open source software providers.
Although the following Detailed Description will proceed with reference being made to illustrative embodiments, many alternatives, modifications and variations thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art.